Wear your best "Buckeye Chic" attire and join us at the Country Club at Muirfield Village as we celebrate Ohio State Football's recent National Championship, highlight the vital role of youth music education, and honor the Columbus Symphony's longstanding and successful partnership with TBDBITL.

Special thanks to sponsors Susan & Bob Cochran, Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, Velvet Ice Cream, and The Buckeye Lady.

Scroll down to purchase tickets!

Schedule: July 27, 2025

4 pmCocktail hour

Enjoy tailgate-themed appetizers, a complimentary alcoholic beverage, and musical entertainment as you peruse items available at our Silent Auction benefitting Columbus Symphony education programs.

5 pmWelcome

Opening remarks from the Columbus Symphony League.

5:15 pmDinner service

Enjoy a seated meal including a Chophouse salad and Velvet ice cream for dessert, with alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Entree choices include:
- Pan-Seared Salmon with tomato and baby spinach risotto and lemon dill butter
- Braised Beef Short Rib with green beans and polenta
- Spinach Gnocchi with roasted pepper, arugula, scallions, and parmesan cheese (vegetarian)

6:15 pmProgram

Longtime central Ohio journalist Mindy Drayer conducts an interview with Dr. Christopher Hoch, director of marching and athletic bands at The Ohio State University, and Douglas Droste, Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace University, and the son of longtime OSU Marching Band director Paul Droste.

7:15 pmLive auction

Following last call for Silent Auction bids, winners will be announced. Then, auctioneer Kevin Burchett will lead a Live Auction benefitting the Columbus Symphony's education programs and featuring an array of exciting items to bid on.

8 pmConclusion and checkout

Collect your auction items and say farewell following a fabulous evening!

Special Guests

Mindy Drayer Broadcast journalist and author

Mindy Drayer has spent her career talking! It all started in 1991 when she graduated from Ohio State with a communication degree. From there, she worked as a television anchor/reporter in Delaware, Lima, Youngstown, and Columbus, Ohio. After more than 30 years in the broadcasting business, Mindy is still doing what she loves by co-hosting two different radio shows on 610 WTVN and anchoring the afternoon news on Spectrum News1. Mindy is also an author of three books (Guylo, The King, and Dear Mom).

Mindy is married to Randy Kortokrax, a longtime educator and high school basketball coach (326 wins). Together, they have two children and four dogs and have recently become empty nesters. Their daughter Kami Kortokrax plays shortstop for The Ohio State Buckeyes and their son Kylan Kortokrax has already entered the working world!

Throughout her career, Mindy has thoroughly enjoyed meeting and interviewing people of all ages and all walks of life. She has always believed that everyone has a story, and Mindy is just happy that she still has radio and TV opportunities to share those stories on the air.

Dr. Christopher Hoch Director of Marching and Athletic Bands at The Ohio State University

Dr. Christopher Hoch served as interim director from May 2015–2016. Previously, he served two years as associate director and one year as assistant director of the marching and athletic bands at Ohio State, seven years as the director of bands at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, OH, and three years as a director of The Ohio State University Marching Band Alumni.

Dr. Hoch’s work with The Ohio State University Marching Band has received national recognition for innovation and creativity in the show design process. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Hoch serves as the musical director of the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company, and he is active around the state of Ohio as a clinician, guest conductor, musical arranger and guest speaker.

Dr. Hoch's Ohio State education includes bachelor's degrees in music education and mathematics, master's degrees in instrumental conducting and music education, and a PhD in music education.

Douglas Droste Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace University

Douglas Droste is Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts.

Droste’s guest conducting appearances include the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), and the orchestras of Kansas City, Indianapolis, Columbus, Canton, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, among others. Equally at home in the pit, he has conducted over 30 productions of opera, ballet, and musical theatre, as well as many pops shows. He previously served as Artistic Director of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

As an advocate of music education, Droste has conducted numerous all-state orchestras, as well as the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House, and Let Music Live Festival at the Vienna Musikverein and Rodolfinum in Prague.

A talented violinist, Droste has performed with the orchestras of Canton, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Nashville, and the Lancaster Festival, among others. He is also skilled on viola, trumpet, and as a tenor. Droste holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.

Location Information

  • The Country Club at Muirfield Village
  • 8715 Muirfield Drive, Dublin, OH, 43017 US
  • Google, Bing, MapQuest

Tickets and Donations

Make it an Ohio State weekend! After purchasing seats below, you'll receive a code for 10% off all tickets to the Columbus Symphony's Nationwide Picnic with the Pops concert featuring the OSU Marching Band, July 25-26.

Purchase Tickets

  • Table Seat

    Purchase as many seats as needed for your group (8 seats = 1 full table) by selecting each individual's entree choice, then clicking the "Add" button. (Make changes by clicking the "Remove" button and starting again.)

    Entree choices:
    - Pan-Seared Salmon with tomato and baby spinach risotto and lemon dill butter
    - Braised Beef Short Rib with green beans and polenta
    - Spinach Gnocchi with roasted pepper, arugula, scallions, and parmesan cheese (vegetarian)

    A portion of each ticket purchase will be a tax-deductible donation to the Columbus Symphony.

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